After a season the place his position with the Boston Celtics was enormously diminished, Payton Pritchard is seeking to get some additional basketball in throughout the offseason. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Pritchard will probably be becoming a member of the USA Choose Group in Las Vegas the place they’ll practice and scrimmage in opposition to the Group USA roster. This comes forward of the 2023 FIBA World Cup kicking off within the Philippines, with Group USA taking over New Zealand on August twenty sixth, 8:40 am EST.
Boston Celtics G Payton Pritchard will probably be a part of the USA Choose group that can follow and scrimmage in opposition to the Group USA roster at a Las Vegas coaching camp in August, sources inform ESPN. Group USA is getting ready for the FIBA World Cup later this summer time within the Philippines.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 21, 2023
Pritchard, 25, is getting into the ultimate 12 months of his rookie scale contract and can hit unrestricted free company subsequent offseason. After taking part in a key bench position throughout the Celtics 2022 NBA Finals run, the previous Oregon Duck noticed his minutes take a dive with the addition of Malcolm Brogdon and a brand new head coach in Joe Mazzulla. The modifications over the season led to frustration for Pritchard, and shortly sufficient rumblings of his need to be traded got here to the floor.
“I really like this group. This entire factor is about me eager to play as a result of that is what I like to do.”
Payton Pritchard desires to clear up his emotions for Boston, and his teammates after expressing wanting extra taking part in time earlier than the commerce deadline pic.twitter.com/WR6Ez2ts2P
— Celtics on NBC Sports activities Boston (@NBCSCeltics) February 12, 2023
Initially, rumors emerged close to the NBA commerce deadline this previous season regarding Pritchard’s unhappiness in his position, and his need for a commerce resurfaced as not too long ago as June 1st. The Suns have been reportedly concerned about his companies, and close to the 2023 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz have been a group linked to the sharpshooter earlier than Boston pulled off a number of trades and moved again into the second spherical to take Summer season League standout Jordan Walsh.
A substantial amount of Pritchard’s discontent was well-warranted, as he rapidly plummeted to the underside of the guard depth chart behind Marcus Good, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon. That type of state of affairs was unavoidable whenever you purchase that a lot pure expertise at one place; with out trotting out a LOT of three guard lineups, there was no strategy to organically produce sufficient minutes to maintain 4 guys who play the identical place blissful.
Nonetheless, the state of affairs could also be very totally different in Boston following the Kristaps Porzingis commerce, with Marcus Good now seeking to be Tony Allen 2.0 in Memphis and clearing up minutes within the backcourt. Boston has completed their greatest to fix fences with Malcolm Brogdon after nearly buying and selling him, and the newest report from Heavy’s Steve Bulpett said the Celtics have no real interest in dealing him. It very nicely could also be posturing, however with no Marcus Good within the fold, the Celtics shouldn’t be desperate to additional dismantle their backcourt except it brings in a clear-cut improve.
New: Payton Pritchard will face off in opposition to the likes of Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson when he fits up for the USA Choose Group subsequent month https://t.co/I07jfGA9Uh
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) July 21, 2023
Whether or not or not Brogdon is staying in Boston, there’s now a window of alternative for Pritchard to get a foothold and vault again into the Celtics bench rotation. Pritchard becoming a member of up with the USA Choose Group could also be indicative of the place his thoughts is at as he approaches a bounce-back season in Yr 4.
